Cooling

[BBR]

Drove the BBR and the engine temp seems to keep climbing in traffic with 90 deg heat, so I gotta do something.

It currently has 2 - 12" electric fans with a shroud, 180 deg. t-stat, timing is good and the afr seems to be fine.

I think it's probably just lack of airflow, but I am really limited on space up there. But in order to kill this problem in it's tracks, I am going to pull every cooling trick i can think of.

1. 160 thermostat (or maybe run a restrictor?)
2. run straight water with water wetter
3. block bypass hose (& add holes to t-stat)
4. ditched the heater hoses
5. move radiator forward a little more to free up some room behind it.
6. fan upgrade options:
a. Lincoln Mark VIII electric fan (*might* be able to squeeze one in...maybe)
b. mechanical fan and shroud

Anything else? I'd like to clobber this problem once and for all with a giant hammer rather than jacking around with trying this and that hoping I stumble onto the fix.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Cooling

I don't think option's 1,2 & 4 are going to help you much. I've never heard of 3, and I'd be asking the 460 guys about that one. The other's I see as being fair game. What size radiator are you using?

[min301]

Re: Cooling

What's the temp getting to?

[BBR]

Re: Cooling

#3 is a 460 forum suggestion

I was running a 50/50 (or thereabouts)mix of anti-freeze and water.

As far as temp goes, it just slowly keeps creeping up. I never let it get above 225 deg.

Radiator is a Howe with a 24x19 core. It's the biggest one that will physically fit in the chassis.

I think a MVII fan would be a VERY tight fit. I have seen where 4.5" is the thinnest depth they can be trimmed to.

Maybe a mech fan is the way to go.

I *might* bump the initial timing up a little more. It is at 17 deg right now with this nosebleed cam.

[BlackoutSteve]

Re: Cooling

Radiator is a Howe with a 24x19 core. It's the biggest one that will physically fit in the chassis.

How many cores? Maybe the core size is good but not holding enough volume.

[milner351]

Re: Cooling

Don't run a cooler thermostat - you're trying to make the engine run at an inefficient operating temp - engines like to run near 200*F to be efficient.

Not sure how much you like the look - but I would try this before you do anything else-
-- put some shims between the hood and the hinges to rais up the back of the hood to let heat OUT of the engine compartment.

With the big radiator up front, and the huge engine and headers in that small engine compartment - you've got a lot of heat going IN -- the question is - is enough of it getting OUT.

You can't do too much about the heat flow once it hits the engine and then the firewall - it either goes down or up.
Heated air naturally flows up - so letting some out of the hood / cowl area can have a substantial effect.

-- You might even try removing the rubber weather strip at the cowl if it's still in there.

-- I'd run a clutched mechanical with a good tight shroud if this idea isn't enough.....

Keep us posted....


-- I know there's some controversy about the stuff - but what about wrapping your headers with heat wrap?

-- I hate to even bring this up - but are the head gaskets on a 460 reversible? or are they marked "FRONT" like the 351W?
I'm sure you checked that during assembly - but if not.........

[BBR]

Re: Cooling

Yeah you can get the hg's on backwards, but it will overheat pretty quick if you do that. When the outside air temps were cooler this thing cooled ok, not great but ok.

Makes me think it's an air movement issue.

The mopar guys on moparts rave about the Chevy HHR fan. They are cheeep and I just *might* be able to squeeze one of them in there as they are a tiny bit thinner than a Mark VII fan.

[horsewidower]

Re: Cooling

Do you have the air dam on it to help push air into the radiator in front of the dam, and create a low pressure area behind the dam to exhaust the air??

Milner is correct, you need to allow for the radiator air to exhaust. Although the area next to the windshield is typically a high pressure area and would tend to push air back under the hood. Tape some yarn near the windshield and see which way it blows if you go the route of raising the rear of the hood.

[BBR]

Re: Cooling

Well I ordered an HHR fan. Heck it was only $55 thru rockauto and supposedly moves a mega-ton of air. It is just a little smaller dia than a Mark VIII fan, but is thinner so I *think* I can get it in there with a little finagling.

This is one on a 22" radiator. Mine is a 24" so I have a little wiggle room to help clear the waterpump snout.

[milner351]

Re: Cooling

So these are "puller" fans right?

that should do the trick, do you know the CFM rating on it?

do you have anything around the front of the radiator to force air coming through the grille to go through the radiator?

maybe some weather stripping or the like would help to keep air from "leaking" around the radiator instead of through it.

[BBR]

Re: Cooling

Yes, it's a puller and I think the cfm is probably in the 3500-3800 range. It is a little smaller than a Mark VIII (4300cfm) but bigger than a Taurus fan (3800cfm). One guy commented that when he turned his on, it blew all the shop rags off the top of his motor. I think my 12" fans were 1000cfm each or so, so this should be roughly double the airflow.

The core support has been cut and fits flush with the sides of the radiator. The lower part of the rad is behind the bumper, so I have thought about taking the old hole saw and adding a couple of slots in the bumper to facilitate better air flow down low.

I may pull out the plastic inner fenders to help exhaust the under hood heat, but dang they sure make it look nice under there.

[DanStokes]

Re: Cooling

Glad Rock Auto had the fan. I was going to post a guard at ME's HHR, which is pricey.

Dan

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Cooling

Well I ordered an HHR fan. Heck it was only $55 thru rockauto and supposedly moves a mega-ton of air. It is just a little smaller dia than a Mark VIII fan, but is thinner so I *think* I can get it in there with a little finagling.

This is one on a 22" radiator. Mine is a 24" so I have a little wiggle room to help clear the waterpump snout.

That's an idea for my car. What's the depth, or height of it? I've been thinking of replacing my noisy hp robbing flex fan.

[milner351]

Re: Cooling

BBR -

what about just trimming the rear of the inner wheel wells to let more air get out of the engine compartment once it hits the firewall?

you could remove most of the plastic behind the wheel that goes back to meet the firewall... and still keep the engine compartment pretty clean....

[BBR]

Re: Cooling

Milner --> That part of the inner fenders is already gone to clear the fenderwell headers.

Rebel --> rockauto linky with dims:

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=1375558